Remote pressure sensor tube for the alarm system of a respirator

ABSTRACT

In artificial respiration apparatus of the type which uses a breathing tube extended from the apparatus to a patient. An alarm system is incorporated into the apparatus which responds to a disruption of the cyclic air pressures therein through connection with an air supply passageway in the respirator. The invention uses a sensor tube, extended from the respirator apparatus to the remote end of the breathing tube. This sensor tube connects with the alarm system so it may respond to a disruption of the cyclic pressures at this remote end of the breathing tube. A selector valve at the respirator apparatus connects the alarm system with either the air supply passageway in the apparatus or with the sensor tube. The sensor tube terminates as a jack which is inserted into a socket in the selector valve. The alarm responds to pressures in the air supply passageway when the jack is not in the socket. However, the alarm responds to pressures in the sensor tube when the jack is inserted into the socket.

The present invention relates to artificial respiration apparatus, andmore particularly to respirators of the type which use a breathing tubeextending from the respirator and to a patient.

The invention is a remote pressure sensor tube for the alarm system of arespirator to actuate the alarm whenever an improper pressure actionoccurs at the extended end of the breathing tube. For example, theremote end of the sensor tube may be connected to a mouthpiece or atrack adaptor and the other end of the tube is connected with the alarmsystem within the respirator.

It follows that a primary object of the invention is to provide a noveland improved remote sensor tube for the alarm system of a respiratorwhich will set off an alarm if a misfunction in the cyclic respirationaction occurs at the remote end of the breathing tube. The need for thissensor tube was brought about by the fact that a patient may drop hismouthpiece, a track adaptor may be disconnected, or the airflow in thebreathing tube may become blocked. The remote sensor is especiallyimportant since such accidents are not always sensed by the regularalarm system within the respirator apparatus which monitors air pressurewithin the apparatus near the breathing tube connection.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improvedremote pressure sensor tube for the alarm system within a respiratorwhich will shift the alarm indicator control from the respirator and tothe patient; can be quickly and easily incorporated into regularrespirators; can be used with positive and negative pressurerespirators; can be quickly and easily connected and disconnected to andfrom a respirator without disrupting the normal operation of therespirator whenever it is disconnected therefrom; and, is a neatappearing, low-cost, reliable and durable addition to a respirator.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention comprisescertain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts andelements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a respirator having a breathing tube anda remote pressure sensor tube extended therefrom according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the respirator to illustrateair pressure indicator leads, a directional valve within the respiratorand also the manner in which the end of the sensor tube connects withthe directional valve;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 2 showing the directional valve,portions of pressure indicator leads connected thereto and the end ofthe sensor tube being connected to this directional valve;

FIG. 4 is a view of the end portion of the pressure sensor tube as itappears when disconnected from the directional valve;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the components as shown in FIG.3 to better illustrate the passageways through the directional valve andend of the sensor tube connected thereto; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 5, but with the sensor tuberemoved.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the respirator R shown atFIG. 1, may be of any type which uses a breathing tube B to extend to apatient. In conventional arrangements various connective devices may beused at the extended end of the tube, the drawing showing a mouthpiece Mand an exhalation valve X. A trach adaptor or other device, not shown,may also be used.

A pressure gage P and an alarm A (FIG. 2) are normally included in aconventional respirator. The pressure gage P registers the cyclicpressure fluctuations at an air supply passageway S within therespirator to which the breathing tube connects. At least one triggercircuit of the alarm is also controlled by such cyclic pressurefluctuations in the air supply passageway S. Since the pressure ofairflow into the breathing tube is cyclic, the trigger circuit withinthe alarm is sensed to respond to a failure of proper cyclic pressurevariations, or more simply, it may be sensed to respond to a failure ofa selected maximum, or minimum, pressure at proper time intervals.

It has been found that accidents can occur at the extended end of thebreathing tube which will not trigger the alarm when the respiratoritself is operating properly. A patient may faint or otherwise drop abreathing tube. If a trach adaptor is used, it may become disconnected.Also, the breathing tube itself may be obstructed. To avoid an alarmfailure when such accidents happen, the present invention uses pressurefluctuations at the extended end of the breathing tube to trigger thealarm.

The present invention includes a remote pressure sensor tube 20, one endof which is connected in a Tee 21 located at the extended end of thebreathing tube as between the mouthpiece M and the exhalation valve X.The other end of the sensor tube 20 is connected to a selector valve 22mounted in the case of the respirator R. This sensor tube 20 need nothave a large diameter since no significant airflow will occur in it. Itis of flexible material and may be conveniently attached to thebreathing tube B by suitable clips 23 as shown at FIG. 1 to provide fora neat appearing arrangement.

It is desirable to have the remote pressure sensor to be connectable anddisconnectable from the respirator at the user's option. When the sensortube is connected to the respirator, the pressure gage P and the alarm Amust be connected with the sensor tube 20 to respond to pressures at theextended end of the breathing tube. However, when the tube isdisconnected from the respirator, the pressure gage P and the alarm Amust be connected to the supply passageway S within the respirator asshown in FIG. 2. Thus, the selector valve 22 is a three-way-type valveadapted to operate automatically responsive to the connection anddisconnection of the sensor tube 20, the end of the sensor tube carryinga connector jack 25 and a holding nut 26 as hereinafter furtherdescribed.

The selector valve 22 is formed as a block-like body 30 having athreaded stub 31 extending from one end, which passes through a suitablehole 32 in the respirator box wall. A lock nut 33 turned onto this stub32 holds the valve 22 in place with the body 30 being within therespirator and the stub 32 projecting from the side of the respirator toreceive the jack 25. Two tubular nipples 34 and 35 project from a sideof this body 30 to define passageways in the valve for connection withtubular leads 36 and 37. The nipple 34 connects with the lead 36 whichextends to the aforementioned supply passageway S of the respirator. Thenipple 35 connects with the lead 37 which extends to the pressure gage Pand also bifurcates to provide a lead 37' which extends to the alarm Aas shown at FIG. 2.

A stepped passageway is extended through the selector valve 22 which isaxially aligned with the stub 31. The smaller portion of thispassageway, through the stub 31, forms a socket 38 to receive theconnector jack 25. An intermediate chamber 39 is formed in the body 30which connects with the side passageway formed by the tubular nipple 35.A larger socket 40 is formed in the end of the body 30 opposite the stubend and this socket 40 connects with the side passageway formed by thetubular nipple 34.

A cylindrical Tee block 41 is formed with its base tightly fitted intothe socket 40. A smaller leg portion 42 of this block 41 extends partwayinto the chamber 39 with a squared end 43 forming a seat surface in thechamber. An axial passageway 44 in the leg joins a lateral passageway 45in the base portion which, in turn, connects with the side passagewayformed by the tubular segment 34. This connection is assured by acircumferential slot 46 about the wall of the base as shown in FIGS. 5and 6.

A valve disc 47 is located in the space between the end 43 of the legportion and the juncture between the socket 38 and chamber 39. Thisjuncture is squared to form a seat 48 against which the disc 47 seatswhen the connector jack 25 is not in the socket 38. A spring 49 aboutthe leg portion 42 then urges the disk 47 against this seat 48 as shownat FIG. 6. When the disc 47 is so positioned, the pressure gage P andthe alarm A respond to pressures at the air supply passageway S withinthe respirator. The response is through the lead 36, the blockpassageways 45 and 44 and the leads 37 and 37' from the valve 22.

The jack 25 is a tubular member formed as two segments, a sleeve 50which fits into the socket 38 of the selector valve and a tube connector51 which connects with the sensor tube 20. A circumferential shoulder 52is formed at the juncture of these segments and this shoulder 52 buttsagainst the end of the stub 31 of the selector valve 22. The holding nut26 is fitted upon the tube connector segment 51 and when it is turnedonto the stub 31, the shoulder 52 is tightly fitted against the stub 31as shown at FIG. 5.

The end of the sleeve 50 is squared to form a seat 53 and its length issuch that with the jack connected in the stub, the seat 53 presses thedisc 47 against the seat 43 of the leg 42 as shown at FIG. 5. Thiscloses the passageway 44, closing off the communication of pressureindications at the air supply passageway S within the respirator. At thesame time, pressure indications from the remote end of the sensor tube20, as at Tee 21 are communicated to the pressure gage P and alarm Athrough the tube 20, through a longitudinal passageway 54 in the jack25, through an orifice 55 adjacent to the sleeve seat 53 and thencethrough the leads 37 and 37'.

It follows that whenever the sensor tube 20 is connected to therespirator R, by connection of the jack 25 to the selector valve 22, thepressure gage P indicates pressure at the remote end of the sensor tube,normally at the breathing tube and the alarm A responds to loss ofpressure or improper pressures at this remote point. However, asheretofore described, whenever the sensor tube is removed from theselector valve 22, the pressure gage and alarm function in aconventional manner responding to pressure failure or improper pressuresat the air supply passageway S within the respirator.

I have now described my invention in considerable detail. However, it isobvious that others skilled in the art can build and devise alternateand equivalent constructions which are nevertheless within the spiritand scope of my invention. Hence, I desire that my protection belimited, not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only bythe proper scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination with a respirator having abreathing tube extended therefrom and to a mouthpiece or the like at itsremote end and having a pressure-responsive indicator means, includingan alarm, to indicate a disruption of the pressures of cyclicrespiratory action within a supply passageway in the respirator, theimprovement comprising: a sensor means associated with the breathingtube and with the indicator means to initiate a pressure indication atthe indicator means responsive to a disruption of pressures of cyclicrespiratory action at the remote end of the breathing tube, andselective switch-over means adapted to permit the indicator means toselectively respond to a disruption within the respirator or to adisruption at the remote end of the breathing tube.
 2. In thecombination defined in claim 1 wherein: said sensor means is a sensortube having its remote end connected to the remote end of the breathingtube and having its other end connected with the indicator means at therespirator.
 3. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein: the sensortube connects with a three-way selector valve means at the respiratoradapted to connect the tube passageway with the indicator means and cutoff the pressure indications within the respirator and to alternatelydisconnect the tube passageway from the indicator means and to cut inthe pressure indications within the respirator.
 4. The combinationdefined in claim 2 including (a) a selector valve at the respirator, (b)a first circuit through the selector valve from the supply passageway inthe respirator to the indicator means; (c) a second circuit through theselector valve from the sensor tube to the indicator means; and (d)valving means within the selector valve to selectively close one circuitand open the other whereby the indicator means may be responsive to thepressure indications in the supply passageway or in the sensor tube. 5.The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said sensor tube terminatesas a jack and said selector valve includes a socket to receive thisjack.
 6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said valving meansis adapted to close off the sensor tube passageway and open the supplypassageway when the sensor tube jack is removed from the socket and toclose off the supply passageway and open the sensor tube passageway whenthe sensor tube jack is inserted into the socket.
 7. In the combinationdefined in claim 6 wherein said valving means includes; a first seat atthe base of the socket; a second seat in spaced opposition to the firstwith said supply passageway extended through this seat; a valve discmeans between the first and second seats; means to urge the valve discmeans against this first seat whenever the sensor tube jack is removedfrom the socket, with the supply passageway then being open; and whereinsaid valve disc means is engaged by and moved from said first seat andagainst said second seat whenever the sensor tube jack is inserted intothe socket, with the sensor tube passageway then being open.